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Organizing for Social Change

INTRODUCTION

This research guide is designed for students who are taking the "Organizing for Social Change: Anti-Subordination Theory and Practice" course. Resources for both the theoretical and practice components of the course are included in this guide. The Poverty Law research guide [http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/guides/poverty.cfm] also offers an excellent selection of resources that would be of use to students researching in the area of social change.

Researching a seminar paper can be a very different process than researching a paper for a first year class. The "Research Strategies for Seminar Papers" guide [http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/guides/seminar_papers.cfm] will walk you through the different steps from choosing a topic to preemption check to focusing your research.

Members from the Georgetown University Community are welcome to request research help from a reference librarian over the phone 202-662-9140, by email (libref@law.georgetown.edu), by Live Help, or by appointment.

BOOKS

When you begin a research project, it is often helpful to have an overview of the topic, to familiarize yourself with the issues, and to learn what words are commonly used to describe them. This will aid greatly when searching for more specific information later. The following books are divided into two groups - United States-focused, and international in scope. The Law Library does not own every one of them, please request items the Law Library does not own through Interlibrary Loan.

1. United States

  • Saul David Alinsky, Revielle for Radicals (1989). [HN90 .R3 A657 1989]

  • Saul David Alinsky, Rules for Radicals (1989). [HN65 .A675 1989]

  • K. Bobo et al., Organizing for Social Change (2001). [JC328.3 .B632 2001]

  • Stephen Burghardt, Organizing for Community Action (1982). [HV65 .B82 1982]

  • Clifford D. Conner, A People’s History of Science: Miners, Midwives, and “Low Mechanicks” (2005).
    The great-man theory of history takes another blow in this innovative and fascinating look at how much scientific and technological knowledge has been advanced through history by unsung working people – even by slaves – and not just the lone individual geniuses portrayed in most textbooks.

  • Ralph Estes, Taking Back the Corporation (2005). {Law Library has ordered}
    A basic introduction to the need for increased corporate accountability.


  • Joyce Gelb and Marian Lief Palley, Women and Public Policies: Reassessing Gender Politics, (New ed., 1996). [HQ1426 .G35 1996]

  • Nelson Lichtenstein, Wal-Mart: The Face of Twenty-First Century Capitalism (2006).
    An impressive collection of essays about how Wal-Mart actually works and what impact it has on many aspects of society in the U.S. and abroad.  Provides far more understanding of the most important company in the world than can be found in the everyday mass media.

  • Bill Lofy, Paul Wellstone (2005).
    Though Lofy was a Wellstone colleague, he is not afraid to be critical and analytical about strategic choices the activist and senator made during his career.

  • Jacqueline B. Mondros and Scott M. Wilson, Organizing for Power and Empowerment(1994). [HN65 .M58 1994]

  • Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark (2004).
    Thoughts on how and why to sustain hope in these difficult times.

  • Larry Solomon, Roots of Justice: Organizing in Communities of Color, (1998). [E184 .A1 S23 1998]

  • Norm Stamper, Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Expose of the Darkside of American Policing, (2005). [HV8138 .S673 2005]
    One of the more unusual books to come out in years.  Stamper was police chief for Seattle from 1994 to 2000, capping a 34-year career as a police officer.  In rich detail he draws on his experiences to argue for radically new approaches on such issues as drugs, prostitution, gun control, capital punishment, community oversight, and more.  Although a strong supporter of unions, Stamper devotes a whole chapter to a blunt argument that police unions too often have defended an indefensible status quo.

  • Lee Staples, Roots to Power: A Manual For Grassroots Organizing (2004). [HN65 .S715 2004]

  • Kathleen Maas Weigert, Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary (2005)
    The book "tackles four central themes: an introduction to living the Catholic social tradition, social change strategies for metropolitan areas, the Church and social ministry in an age of globalization, and Catholic social teaching's common good. Case studies illustrate examples of successful coalitions and service work in different settings."

  • Women on the Edge (Samantha Dunn and Julianne Ortale ed., 2005).
    New short stories by women in L.A. that delve into a range of life’s experiences.

  • The Women's Movements of the United States and Western Europe: Conciousness, Political Opportunity, and Public Works. (Mary Fainsod Katzenstein and Carol McClurg Mueller, ed. 1987) [HQ1426 .W6655 1987]

  • Janet Zandy, Hands: Physical Labor, Class, and Cultural Works (2004).
    At a time when so much of “culture” is disconnected from the experiences of most people at work each day, Zandy continues in her writings to examine literature and art that are by or about working people.  Best suited for those comfortable with academic language.


    Book Chapters
    • Marshall Ganz, et al. “Against the Tide: Projects and Pathways of the New Generation of Union Leaders, 1984-2001.” Rebuilding Labor: Organizing and Organizers in the New Union Movement (Ruth Milkman and Kim Voss, ed., 2004). [HD5708 .R43 2004]

    • Marshall Ganz, “Organizing.” In Encyclopedia of Leadership (George Goethals, Georgia J. Sorenson, and James McGregor Burns, ed., 2004).

    • Marshall Ganz, “Why David Sometimes Wins: Strategic Capacity in Social Movements.” In Rethinking Social Movements: Structure, Meaning, and Emotion.  (Jeff Goodwin and James M. Jasper, ed., 2003). {Law Library has ordered}

    • Marshall Ganz and Taeku Lee, “Kmart Union in Greensboro Fights for a Contract.” Teaching Note, June 20, 2002

2. International

  • Nancy Adamson, Linda Briskin & Margaret McPhail, Feminist Organizing for Change" The Contemporary Woman's Movement in Canada. (1988).[HQ1453 .A54 1988]

  • Jackie Smith, Charles Chatfield, Roon Pagnucco, Transnational Social Movements and Global Politics: Solidarity Beyond the State (1997).
    [HN18 .T72 1997] {Law Library has ordered}

  • (Mary Fainsod Katzenstein and Carol McClurg Mueller, ed. 1987) The Women's Movements in the United States and Europe: Conciousness, Political Opportunity, and Public Policy [HQ1426 .W6655 1987]

To look for other titles on the topic of social change, search GULLiver and WorldCat for the following subject headings: community organization, political participation, radicalism, social change, etc.

JOURNALS

1. Selected Journal Titles

  • The American Prospect [http://www.prospect.org/] (January 1990-present)
    Founded in 1990 as “an authoritative magazine of liberal ideas, committed to a just society, an enriched democracy, and effective liberal politics.” 

  • Crime, Law, and Social Change, (Library has v.17-26, 1992-2001), [ K3 .R425]

  • Dissent, ,(Library has 2001-present), [K4 .I88]

  • Journal of Law and Social Change (continues Hybrid: a Journal of Law and Social Change) [K10 .O5185] (Library has v.1, 1993 – present)

  • Journal of Social Issues, [K10 .O6965 Micro] (Library has v.35 – 58, 1979-2002)

  • Praxis News and Notes: A Periodic Briefing on Issues of Health Justice From the Praxis Project [http://www.thepraxisproject.org/irc/tools.html, scroll to bottom] (2003-present )

  • Report on the World Social Situation (Prepared by the Bureau of Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat, in co-operation with the International Labour Office) [ [KZ5010 .A2 E/CN.5/ST/ESA] (1989-present, biennial, every two years)

  • Social Forces, available on
  • Social Justice, [K23 .O1905] (v.15, 1988-present)

  • Social Policy, available on
  • Third World Quarterly, [K24 .H4] (Library has v.4-22, no.3, 1982-2001)

To find out whether a journal is available in full text on any of the databases you have access to through the Law Library or the Main Campus Libraries, open E-Journal Finder. Choose "All" in the "Choose to view per Library" drop-down box and type the title of your journal. The result will be a list of databases that include your journal.

2. Databases/Indexes

A more efficient way of searching for relevant articles on your topic than browsing journals is to search in journal databases or indexes. For instructions on how to search journal indexes and full-text databases efficiently and explanations on why searching journal indexes is a more effective method for articles research than full-text searching, consult "Using Articles for Legal and Non-Legal Research" research guide. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this course, databases that are broader in scope will also be included.

Legal Journal Full Text Databases:
  • Westlaw's JLR database
  • Lexis: Legal > Secondary Legal > Law Reviews & Journals > US Law Reviews and Journals, Combined
Legal Journal Indexes:
  • Legal Periodicals and Books (formerly Index to Legal Periodicals)
    Citations to articles from over 700 legal publications, plus monographs published in 1993 or later. Periodical coverage begins in August 1981. Legal Periodicals and Books Retro covers 1918-1981. Available at:
  • LegalTrac (also known as Legal Resource Index)
    Cumulative indexing of approximately 800 legal publications. Also includes law related articles from more than 1,000 additional business and general interest periodicals. Coverage begins in 1980. Available at:
Political Science Databases
  • International Political Science Abstracts (Georgetown Law on Campus only) indexes and abstracts articles from major political science journals. Covers theory, government, political process, international relations, and national and area studies.

  • Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (Georgetown Law on Campus only) indexes and abstracts articles from over 1,400 political science and international relations journals. (1975-present)
Race, Ethnic/Gender Studies Databases
  • Contemporary Women's Issues (Georgetown Law only) Focuses on the critical issues and events that influence women’s lives in more than 190 countries.  98% of the 2000 available sources published by over 250 organizations around the world are available full-text.

  • Gender Watch (Georgetown Law only) Full text database of diverse publications (including scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, government and NGO reports, etc.) that focus on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas.  1970-present.

  • Hispanic American Periodical Index (Hapi Online) (Georgetown Law only) Bibliographic citations to articles, book reviews, documents, original literary works, and other materials appearing in more than 400 key social science and humanities journals published throughout the world. Covers Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hispanics in the U.S. (1970-present)
Broader Social Science Databases
  • Alternative Press Index (Georgetown Law on campus only) indexes and abstracts over 250 alternative, radical and left leaning journals, newspapers and magazines from the U.S. and abroad.

  • Social Sciences Index (Georgetown Law only) Indexes articles in all areas of the social sciences, from 350 English-language journals. Covers anthropology, ethnic studies, economics, environment, geography, health, law and criminology, public administration, political science, psychology, sociology, urban studies and women's studies. 1983 - present.

  • Sociological Abstracts (Georgetown Law on campus only) A primary resource for accessing the latest research in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.

  • SSRN: Social Science Research Network (Georgetown Law only) includes 10 research networks. It is a good source for journal articles that have yet to be published and working papers. Many articles and papers are available for full-text download. The following networks are more relevant to this topic, but you can search across all networks.
    • Legal Scholarship Network (LSN)
    • Social Insurance Research Network (SIRN)
Broader Academic Journal Databases
  • Academic Search Premier (Georgetown Law only) Provides full text for 3,467 publications covering academic areas of study including social sciences, humanities, education, and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. A total of 4,425 titles are abstracted and indexed, of which 2,591 are peer-reviewed.

  • ProQuest Research Library (Georgetown Law only) Indexes and abstracts to articles in more than 1800 general publications, with varying coverage dates, most beginning in the late 1980's. Also, complete articles for approximately 200 popular periodicals.

GOVERNMENT REPORTS AND THINK TANK REPORTS

The following databases are excellent sources of Government reports and think tank reports:

  • PolicyFile (1990-) (Georgetown Law only) Indexes and abstracts public policy research and analyses originating from think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers (includes GAO Reports, but not CRS Reports). Where available, access to home pages and full text are made available within individual abstracts.

  • PAIS International (1972-) (Georgetown Law On-campus access only) Indexes public policy and public affairs literature.

  • CQ Researcher (Georgetown Law only) Weekly publication covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies and more.

  • Congressional Research Service Reports (CRS Reports) These are non-partisan and in-depth reports produced by the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of the Library of Congress, on a variety of topics for Congress. They are not widely available, but a few libraries have been collecting and making them accessible:
    • Thurgood Marshall Library, University of Maryland [http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/crsreports/index.asp ]
    • University of North Texas Library [http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/index.tkl]
    • Open CRS: Congressional Research Reports for the People [http://opencrs.cdt.org/]
      A project of the Center for Democracy & Technology that serves as a centralized location to learn about the Congressional Research Service and search for CRS reports that have been released to the public by members of Congress. Provides report summaries.
    • The Law Library also has a collection of CRS Reports on microfiche. Check the index to this collection to find out if the CRS report you are looking for is in the collection. The index is called: A Guide to Major Studies and Issue Briefs of the COngressional Research Briefs, [Media, JK1108 .M34 Index/Guide]

FILMS

The following resources provide lists of social change films. The Law Library has a video collection with a focus on law and society. If you need a video or a DVD that the Law Library does not own, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan. You may also want to check the catalog of Main Campus Libraries. You will not be able to request the item be sent to the Law Library, but you can go there to use or sign out the items.

  • California Newsreel [http://www.newsreel.org/] is “the oldest non-profit film and video production and distribution center” of social interest documentaries, with a focus on the study of race and diversity, African American life and history and African feature films and documentaries. Videos are available through purchase.

  • Marshall Ganz’s course syllabus for his “Organizing: People, Power and Change” course at Harvard includes a list of movies as well as an extensive bibliography of books [http://comm-org.wisc.edu/syllabi/ganz/ganz177.htm]

  • MediaRights: Media that Matters [http://www.mediarights.org/film/] is “a community organization dedicated to maximizing the impact of social-issue documentaries and shorts.” They help adult and youth filmmakers reach audiences, educators and librarians bring films into their curricular and nonprofits and activists integrate media into their campaigns.  The Web site includes an extensive list of films as well as organizations, with brief descriptions.

  • The Web site of Fifty Crows: Social Change Photography [http://www.fiftycrows.org/] includes a selection of photoessays and movies. Topics are international in scope.

NEWSPAPERS AND TRANSCRIPTS OF TV/RADIO PROGRAMS

  • ProQuest (Georgetown Law only) provides access to full-text or abstracts of newspaper or magazine articles

  • Lexis: News & Business > Combined Sources > Transcripts provides access to full-text transcripts of TV programs such as the Charlie Rose Show, and TV/radio programs from ABC, Al-Jazeera, CBS News, CNBC, CNN, Fox News Network, MSNBC, National Public Radio, etc.

  • Lexis's News & Business tab and Westlaw's Business & News folder include many different databases with different coverage.

  • Factiva (Georgetown Law on Campus only) provides worldwide full-text coverage of local and regional newspapers, press release wires, media transcripts, etc. from nearly 8,000 sources in 22 languages from 118 countries.

ACADEMIC INSTITUTES AND RESEARCH CENTER

  • The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change [http://benhooks.memphis.edu/] is "a public policy research center supporting the urban research mission of the University of Memphis... The Institute works to advance our understanding of the legacy of the American Civil Rights Movement - and of social movements for social justice - through teaching, research and community programs..." The Web site provides information on its research.

  • Institute for the Study of Social Change, UC Berkeley (ISSC) [http://issc.berkeley.edu/index.html] is "a research center dedicated to understanding the processes of social change and contributing to the transformation of conditions of inequality. ISSC researchers use a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to undertake empirical investigations into critical social issues facing the nation, with a particular focus on California communities. ISSC also provides training and professional development to graduate and undergraduate students. The Web site includes information about its research and training programs, and links to working papers by Institute fellows.

  • Simmons Institute for Leadership and Change [http://www.simmons.edu/silc/] "sponsors programs, activities, and resources that help initiate social change for women, raise women's issues to the state and national political level, and reach out to audiences diverse in age, class, sexual orientation, culture, and educational background.

  • Social Change Project (Mercatus Center, George Mason University) [http://www.mercatus.org/socialchange/] uses the "institutional choice" approach to the study of social change. "Institutional choice is about understanding how institutions affect patterns of human choices by structuring incentives."

SOCIAL CHANGE ORGANIZATIONS

There are many social change organizations in the nation engaging in innovative projects with an aim to change communities for the better. The following list is very selective. The list also includes links to more organizations. For a more comprehensive list of social change organizations, check Social Movements and Culture: A Resource Site [http://www.wsu.edu/~amerstu/smc/smchomefr.html]

  • ACORN: The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now [http://www.acorn.org/]
    "The nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities."
    ACORN family of communities [http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=1573]
  • Center for Community Change [http://www.communitychange.org/]
    "[A] progressive social justice organization whose central project is to support the emergence of one or more movements for social and economic justice in the U.S." The Web site includes information about issues that concern that Center and projects that its members engage in. It also provides full-text access to its publications.

  • Center for Economic and Policy Research [http://www.cepr.net/]
    Established to "promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives," "CEPR conducts both professional research and public education" with an aim to fill important gaps in the understanding of particular economic and social problems, or the impact of specific policies. The Web site provides access to the Center's publications, such as columns and op-eds and economic reporting reviews by publication type and by issues.

  • Center for Third World Organizing [http://www.ctwo.org/] is "a racial-justice organization dedicated to building a social-justice movement led by people of color." It is a training and resources center that "promotes and sustains direct-action organizing in communities of color in the United States."

  • Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change [http://povertycenter.cwru.edu/] "seeks to address the problems of persistent and concentrated urban poverty and is dedicated to understanding how social and economic changes affect low-income communities, and how living in these communities affects the well-being of their residents." The Web site includes background information of its research projects.

  • Comm-Org: The Online Conference on Community Organizing and Development [http://comm-org.wisc.edu/]
    Its mission is to “help connect people who care about the craft of community organizing, find and provide information that organizers, scholar-organizers can use to learn, teach, and do community organizing." The Web site provides access to much useful information and links to many resources on community organizing and development, including papers and syllabi, and organizations grouped by topic.

  • Equal Justice Society [http://www.equaljusticesociety.org/]
    It is “a national organization of scholars, advocates and concerned individuals advancing creative legal strategies and public policy for enduring social change.”  The Web site includes information about their strategic research initiatives.

  • Fifty Crows: Social Change Photography [http://www.fiftycrows.org/]
    It uses “arrestingly real, timely photographic images as a catalyst for education, cultural understanding and social action.”  The Web site includes a selection of photoessays and films.  Topics are international in scope.

  • The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty [http://www.povertylaw.org/]
    It “champions law and policy promoting equal opportunity and support for low-income individuals, families, and communities so that they can escape poverty permanently."

  • The Praxis Project [http://www.thepraxisproject.org/home.html]
    It is “a national, nonprofit organization that builds partnerships with local groups to influence policymaking to address the underlying, systemic causes of community problems." The Web site provides access to tools and publications that may be useful to organizers, researchers, and program managers working to develop policies and coalitions at the state and local level.

FOUNDATIONS

There are many foundations from which you can seek grants to support your projects. Here are a few of these foundations with a focus on social change.

  • Ford Foundation [http://www.fordfound.org/] is "a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Our goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement." The Web site provides Guidelines for Grant Seekers.

  • Open Society Institute & Soros Foundations Network [http://www.soros.org/], "a private operating and grantmaking foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal,and social reform. The Web site provides, among other things, grants, scholarship and fellowships information.

  • Tides Foundation [http://www.tidesfoundation.org/] "supports positive social change through innovative grantmaking. Tides Foundation has awarded over $300 million in grants to nonprofits in the United States and abroad.

For lists of foundations, see:

OTHER WEB SITES

  • Marshall Ganz's Profile at Harvard [http://ksgfaculty.harvard.edu/marshall_ganz] The site provides a profile of a leading scholar in organizing social change. The site links to his personal Web site which links to his course syllabi.

Revised March 23, 2006 (LT)

Page last saved 27-Apr-2009